what could have been
by KnightwingYJ
Summary: dick suddenly wakes up,but he is not in his room. or in the manor for the most part. he is sudddenly has everything he has ever wanted but is it worth it?
1. Chapter 1

Dick groaned. His head was pounding. He felt like he was having a hangover…not that he knew what that felt like. He slowly opened his eyes, only to swiftly shut them against the sunlight seeping through the opened window. 'I thought I asked Alfred to keep the curtains closed,' he thought. The warm air swept into the room, assaulting his nose with lilac and roses… wait warm air?

Dick's eyes shot open as he sat up in his bed. He scanned the room he had not slept in for 4 years. His panic rose steadily as he laid his eyes on his many posters and family photos in his small room in his family's trailer. 'What is going on?'

Suddenly his bedroom door flew open and two small figures landed on his bed. The first thing Dick thought was 'holy crap! I'm under attack!' He was about to lash out when one of them spoke. "Happy Birthday, Dick!" The voice was male and young by how high it sounded. The balls of energy calmed down and Dick finally got a good look at them. 'I'm being attacked by a panda and a frog?' His confusion grew as he stared at the little girl and boy in front of him. They were obviously twins with raven black hair and light blue eyes. They were about 6 or 7 years old. The girl was wearing panda footie-pajamas and the boy was wearing frog ones.

"Come on, Mommy's making your favorite, Chocolate Chip Pancakes!" The girl said. Dick was seriously confused and panicky. **(Don't know if that is a real word.) **

"All right you two, leave your brother alone." 'Brother?' Dick's head snapped toward the doorway. A woman stood there. His jaw dropped. Her red hair shown in the sunlight from the open front door. Her eyes were alive with laughter. In her hands was a dish towel that was held against her pregnant belly. She was big enough to be in her third trimester. "Dick honey, your dad's waiting for you in the tent. I would suggest you hurry up and get dressed, "She told him. Dick just stared at her in disbelief. His emotions were starting to overpower him. "Oh and Happy Birthday my little robin." She walked back to their kitchen. Dick stared after her. 'Mom…'


	2. Chapter 2

Dick moved into the kitchen. His mother worked swiftly, placing heaping piles of pancakes, hash browns, and bacon on the table. The twins were already seated. They were busily scooping the food on to their plates. "Hey, be patient you two." Mary scolded. "Wait for your father."

"Someone say my name?" John asked as he stepped through the door.

"Daddy!" shouted the twins as the launched themselves at their father. With practiced ease, he snatched them out of the air. Their giggles didn't wake Dick from his shock. Agony swelled inside of him. The family in front of him didn't seem real. How could it be? His parents were dead. They were buried in Gotham Cemetery… But WERE they? He wasn't so sure now. He wasn't sure of anything He was confused and was starting panic.

"Honey, is something wrong?" His mother's voice brought him out of his stupor. Everyone in the room was staring at him, concern evident on their faces. He was suddenly of the warm, salty tears running down his cheeks.

"You all right Dick?" John asked. Dick's eyes turned to his father. 'How could they be here? They're dead. I watched them die.' He shook his head as bloody images flashed in his mind. Mary mistook the motion as an answer to John's question and she moved toward him. She wanted to comfort him.

Dick saw and fear bubbled up inside him. He couldn't do this. He need to get out before he has a full-blown panic attack, so he did the only thing he could do. He ran


	3. Chapter 3

Dick ran past a few clowns. He didn't know why he was running. He knew his dad was chasing him. "Dick, wait!" He didn't listen. He couldn't listen, not until he knew for sure.

He ran out the entrance, startling Mr. Haley."Dick?" Dick didn't stop. His breathing came out in ragged gasps.

When he reached the outskirts of Gotham, he pushed himself faster. His legs started to protest, but he ignored them too. He knew where he needed to go now.

Gotham Cemetery's gates loomed closer and Dick threw them open. He weaved between headstones until he came to an empty space. He stood there in shock. 'Where are they? They're not here!' His lungs burned from crying and running.

"Dick!" screamed John. He was panting too. He stopped a few feet from Dick, afraid if he moved closer he would bolt. "What is going on?"

Dick just stared at the grass. "They're not here. Why aren't they here?" He whispered.

"What?" John asked.

"Your graves." Dick turned and looked at his father. "Yours and Mom's graves aren't here."

John was confused and slightly scared. What was happening to his son? He didn't know what to do. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"YOUR GRAVES!" Dick screamed gesturing to the empty space next to him. "THEY WERE RIGHT HERE!" He was starting to lose it, John could tell. He was usually so calm and collected. It took a lot to push him over the edge and right now he was teetering.

"Your mom and I aren't dead." John told him."

"YES YOU ARE! I was there!" Dick cried. He looked at the ground and more softly he added, "I was there."

"I'm not dead, Richard. I'm standing right here in front of you."

Dick's head snapped up. John took a step back when he saw the fury in his son's eyes."You're an illusion." He was trying to rationalize it. "A trick."

"No, no. I'm not." John took a step forward, but Dick flew into defense. He immediately stopped. He put his hands up. He didn't know what else to do. Obviously, Dick had his heart set on him being the enemy. 'The stubbornness of this child. I need a way to show him that… Wait show him!' "Dick, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to move towards you." He took a few tentative steps forward. Then he got the courage to joke. "Don't hit me or anything."

Dick scoffed. 'Just like dad.' John kept moving towards him. He tensed up with every step. By the time he was a foot away, Dick's limbs were shaking.

"If I'm an illusion," John said. His palms now touching Dick's fists. "Then how is it that I can touch you?" Dick looked at they're hands. He could feel the warmth, the calluses on his father's hands. Dick looked up at him. John squeezed his hands. "I'm real, little robin."

Tears started to spill over again as Dick launched himself at his father. John wrapped his arms around him. The warmth from his body was soothing. He felt safe in his arms. He always had. "Daddy..." Dick whispered into John's chest.

"Hush little robin, hush." John rubbed his back in little circles. After a while, he pushed back and looked into Dick's eyes. Dick's eyes, bluer than the hope diamond, were now filled relief and limitless love. John smiled down at him and, slowly, Dick returned the smile. "Come on, your Mom made chocolate chip pancakes and there's no way I'm going to let the twins eat them all."


	4. Chapter 4

**ok just so you know the part where he's reminding himself is vital. the part at the end is wat he remembers. look closely at both.**

The twins were scared of him now. Dick was sure of it. They hardly looked at him in the eye. They grew quiet when he entered the room. They completely avoided him. For the first two days he didn't care. He was too busy reminding himself what he knew. 'My name is Richard John Grayson. I'm 14 and I am Robin, the boy wonder. I have friends, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Artemis, Superboy, and Miss Martian. I am a hero.' He repeats it over and over, but after the second day, he started to notice.

Dick went to the twins' room at 10:00pm. He peered through the open door. The twins were cuddled up on one of the beds, reading Captain Underpants. They were giggling at the insanely drawn pictures. He took a deep breath and stepped into the room. The twins quieted down and stared at him. "Aren't you two supposed to be in bed?"

Lolan looked at Dick and he smirked. "We are in bed."

Dick rolled his eyes, smiling himself." All right, Mr. Literal. Why aren't you asleep?" He asked as he crossed his arms.

Lydia showed him the front of the book. "We're reading Captain Underpants."

"I see that."

"Want to join us?" Lydia asked. She then gave him the puppy-dog eyes. Dick thought he could resist that was until Lolan joined in.

Dick sighed. "All right, scooch over." He climbed in between them and settled in. He took one look at the pictures and was tempted to chuck the book out the window. "What is this?"

"It's a superhero book." Lolan said.

"This is a disgrace to all superheroes. What are you doing reading this junk?"

Lydia shrugged, "it's funny."

"Ok, Superman is the only one I know who wears his boxers outside his pants and actually makes it works." Dick looked back the pages. "At least Superman wears pants. Where are his pants?"

"I don't know." Lydia said.

"Someone must have pants him or something." Dick murmured. The twins giggled. Dick moved to sit in front of the twins, snatching the book as he went. "What you guys need is a good, legit superhero story." He chucked Captain Underpants across the room without a second thought. "Now, you guys know about batman, right?"

Lydia and Lolan's faces lit up. "Yeah!"

"Batman!"

"He's my favorite!"

Dick chuckled. "Okay, okay calm down." He thought for a moment. "Okay how about we make up a new hero."

Lolan grinned. "Oh, Oh! Let's make him Batman's sidekick."

Dick smiled. "Okay, but he is a partner not a sidekick."

"Okay," the twin said

"He'll be called…" Dick made it look like he was making it up. "Robin, the boy wonder!" The twins giggled. " He'll team up with other partners."

"Other sidekicks?" Lydia asked.

"Partners." Dick corrected. "Yeah. Ok, Robin, Kid Flash, partner to the Flash…"

"The Flash!" Lolan shouted." I saw him on TV once."

"Let Dick finish." Lydia scolded.

Dick chuckled again. Who knew his siblings would be so hyper. "Aqualad, partner to Aquaman, and Speedy, partner to Green Arrow, had been told they were going to become full-fledged members of the Justice League. They were brought to the Hall of Justice. The partners were so excited. They were finally going to see the inside of the Justice league's Head Quarters."

The twins giggled excitedly. Dick told them the story, pausing every now and then for emphasis. They were so wrapped up in the story; they didn't notice two figures in the doorway.

John and Mary smiled at the scene. "They've been like that for an hour." Mary said.

John grinned. "Dick seems to be doing better."

"I hope so. He had me scared that something was seriously wrong." Mary turned to her husband. "What did he say to you?"

John shook his head. "I'll tell you later." He snuck into the room and jumped on the bed. The twins screamed. Dick laughed at their expressions. He had just gotten to the battle with Blockbuster and his father's timing was perfect.

"Wha'chu guys doing?" John asked.

"Dick was telling us a story." Lydia told him.

John raised an eyebrow. "Really, about what?"

"Superheroes!" Lolan shouted.

"Well guess what? It's bedtime."

"Aww!" The twins looked at him."Can Dick finish the story, please?" They turned on the puppy-dog eyes.

"I'll finish it tomorrow." Dick jumped in. He knew his dad couldn't resist the eyes.

Another chorus of "awws" followed the twins as they climbed into their bunk beds. John kissed them goodnight. He turned to Dick, who slipped under the covers. "Good night, Dick." John kissed him on the head and closed the door.

"Good night…Dad." Dick smiled and turned over. Before he knew it, he was asleep.

_my name id Richard John Grayson. i'm 14. i am robin, the boy wonder. i have friends, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Artemis, Superboy, and Mriss Martian. _

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><p><em><strong>what do you think so far. if you have qs let me know. review<strong>_


	5. Chapter 5

Fog filled Dick's dreams. He moved forward. Mist's cold chill soaked into him. He shivered as he searched for anything to help him find out where he was. Suddenly music filled the air. He stopped and listened. It was carnival music. Actually it was the exact music Haley Circus plays.

Dick walked toward the music. The fog cleared, revealing an open flap of a tent. He slipped through and heard Mr. Haley, "Ladies and Gentleman! The Flying Graysons!" He was suddenly on the trapeze platform, watching his parents fly. He smiled at them. They were so happy and they made him happy. He heard a snapping noise and looked up. The wire to the bar his parents were on snapped. Dick saw his parents' expressions change from pure joy to horror in the blink of an eye. He stretched out to his mother, hoping that this time he'd catch her. Their fingers past within inches of each other and his hand closed on air. His mother screamed his name before she was silent.

Dick didn't know how he got back on the ground, but he was next to his parents. Their eyes were wide open, betraying their last feeling. Blood flowed out from their broken bodies. The only thing that looked normal was their hands. They were clasped together just as they had been every day of his life.

Dick clawed at their bodies, screaming for them not to leave him. He was aware of 5 figures coming towards him. Green arms encircled him, trying to bring him comfort. "I'm so sorry, Robin," the female voice told him, but he didn't acknowledge it. Red hair tickled his face. Red hair! His mom's hair! She wasn't dead! She was with him! His head snapped up and he stared at the green face. He gave a startled yell. The green girl jerked back like she had been hit.

Dick looked away, not wanting to see the tears fill her eyes. He tried to move closer to his parents, but stronger arms pulled him back. He screamed for his parents and struggled to get out. The grip gently tightened and felt him being lifted from the ground. "It's okay, Robin. We'll get you out."

Dick turned toward the voice. A boy was walking next him and his carrier. He had ginger hair and green eyes. He also wore an outfit similar to the Flash's. His face was filled with concern. He reached out to touch Dick. He flinched and the boy pulled his hand back. "It is all right, my friend," said the boy next to the ginger. "You are safe." He looked like an African American with blond hair. He had tattoos along both of his arms.

The boy who was carrying him had black hair and light blue eyes. On his black shirt was a red Superman logo. He carried him bridle style. Dick could feel the tension in his arms like he was trying not to crush him. The green girl was walking next to him, tears falling silently down her cheeks. There was another girl next to her. She would glance at him even now and then but other than that she kept silent. He blond hair flowed down her back. If Dick wasn't hysterical, he would have to say that it was the longest hair he had ever seen.

Dick looked over the blue eyed boy's shoulder. He saw his parents' broken bodies before the fog concealed them. He pushed his head against the red S and sobbed.

"Dick!" the voice echoed through his mind. He lifted his head. He couldn't see the teens that took him from his parents, but he could feel the boy's arms. He searched the fog for the voice. His eyes settled on a black figure. It looked like a giant bat. It opened its arms, beaconing to him. He wanted to run to it and be surrounded in the warm darkness. Its mouth formed the word the strangely looked like Robin.

"Richard!" Dick's eyes snapped open and he shot up in his bed. His covers were tangled with his legs. He was sweaty and trembling. He looked around and saw his dad sitting on the side of his bed. He looked fearful. Dick looked past him and saw his mom with the twins, trying to comfort them.

"Dick?" His dad put a hand on his shoulder. Dick saw him hesitate. He looked at his father and then he hugged him.

John wrapped his arms around his boy as he cried. "te rog, nu lăsaţi niciodată mine," Dick cried. (_Please, don't ever leave me_)

John started to rock him. "i nu va putin robin, promit."(_I won't little robin, I promise_)

_My name is Richard John Grayson. I'm 14 and i'm Robin, the boy wonder._


	6. Chapter 6

Dick was officially exhausted. After the nightmare last night, he didn't sleep a wink. He was too scared he'd dream again. He had participated in practice today and now was leaning against the wall that separated the audience from the performers. He was seriously considering passing out right there, though he wouldn't put it passed his dad to draw on his face if he did. So he just closed his eyes and listened to the twins' giggles.

He felt his dad before he heard him. "You're not dead are you, Dick?" His dad asked.

Dick smiled, "no, I'm just admiring the fine craftsmanship of this wall."**(1) **

Dick felt the warmth of his dad's body as he sat down next to him. He put his head on his shoulder, content on letting the warmth and his father's smell relax him.

John wrapped an arm around his son and pulled him close. "You okay?" He asked.

Dick looked up at him, "Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you had a pretty rough night last night." Dick sighed. He knew this was coming. He'd been trying to avoid it all morning. "Do you want to talk about it?" John asked.

"Not really," Dick mumbled.

"You should keep it bundled up inside. It's only going to hurt you."

Dick huffed and stood up. He looked down at his father. His face blank. "Look, there is a lot going on that I'm not sure of," he turned away," I just need some time to work things out."

John studied his son. He had changed so much; he didn't seem like the same boy that would run to his room during a thunderstorm. He seems, older and stronger. He suddenly felt afraid. What if Dick didn't need him anymore? 'Get a grip, John.' He scolded himself. "All right," John said and he stood up next to Dick. He put a hand on his shoulder. "But I'm here when you want to talk."

Dick smiled up at him. "Thanks Dad," he whispered and hugged him.

"Hey John, the-" Dick turned and saw Mr. Haley step into the tent. He paused when he saw that he had walked in on a Kodak moment. "Um, I'm not interrupting something, am I?" He asked hesitantly.

"No, we were just talking." John responded.

"Okay, well, the students are here." Mr. Haley said and he left the tent.

Dick looked at his dad, confused, "students?"  
>John smiled, "yes, the students from Gotham High <strong>(2)<strong>. They are here for career day."

Dick scoffed, "career day? Isn't the Circus the place you ran away too when your life sucks?" he joked.

John laughed, "We're here, aren't we?" He ruffled Dick's hair, which earned him a "Dad!"

BREAKLINE!

JOHN POV.

John stepped in front of the Gotham High students. He knew Gotham was a tough place to live, but looking at the hard, stone cold faces made him glad he and his family didn't. Many of them were scowling. Others had scares from fighting. There was a group of them, though, that looked like they didn't belong. John didn't get a chance to study them farther because Mr. Haley started the greeting. "Welcome to Haley's Circus. I'm Mr. Haley, manager of this fine establishment," many snickered," and this is John Grayson." He pointed toward John, "co-manager and a member of the Flying Grayson's."

John nodded to the crowd. At the mention of the Flying Grayson's, one of the students, a boy with ginger hair, whispered excitedly to a raven hair boy. The raven looked at the boy like he was saying 'shut up'.

"We'll now split you into groups." Mr. Haley the divided up the kids. The ginger was now so excited; he looked like he was vibrating.

Once they were in smaller groups, Mr. Haley assigned them a guide. "Group Number 5, "he shouted to the strange group, "You'll go with Mr. Grayson. I hope you enjoy the Circus."

The group of five walked up to John. With his hands on his hips, he smiled down at the group. "I know it's been said, but welcome to the Haley's Circus. Before we start, I would like to know your names."

The ginger boy ran straight up to him and shook his hand. "I'm Wally West and let me just say it's an honor to meet you, sir." He said it so fast, John almost didn't understand him.

A girl with incredibly long blond hair rolled her eyes. "I'm Artemis." John nodded.

A red-haired girl walked forward. She looked so innocent. "I'm Megan and this is Conner." She gestured to the raven haired boy. John thought he looked like what Dick could look like when he turned 16. His eyes, though, weren't as blue as Dick's, nor was he as happy.

The last boy was an African American with blond hair. He had tattoos running down the length of his arms. "I'm Kaldur."

"It is very nice to meet you all." John smiled. "Now come with me there are more people I would like you too meet."

BREAKLINE!

NORMAL POV

Dick carried a box of supplies to one of the extra tents. He couldn't stop thinking about his dream. Why would he dream about his parents' deaths and who were the kids? He didn't understand how he could dream about people he'd never meet. He shook his head, clearing away the thoughts. He placed the box on the ground next to the others and dusted off his hands.

"Dick," his father's voice sounded outside the tent. "You in there?"

"Yeah," he called back.

"Well get out here. We have guests."

"Coming," Dick stepped out and froze. Standing in front of him with his dad, was the kids from his dream.

BREAKLINE!

**This was from one of my dad's stories and I wanted to use it so it's not mine.**

**Gotham High I made up. Don't really know if it is real. **

**I know they all don't go to the same school but for my story they do. If you have any questions please ask and I'll be happy to answer them.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Dick, these are the students from Gotham High." Dick stared at the teens in front of him. This wasn't possible. How could the people he dreamed about be standing in front of him? "Dick, you okay?" John asked, snapping Dick out of his stupor.

"Huh? oh yeah." Dick faked a smile. "Nice to meet you." A small noise came from the red head. Dick looked at him. His hands were covering his face and he was vibrating. He was starting to freak him out.

John put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Well, Mr. Haley needs to speak with me. Do you mind picking up where I left off?" He asked.

"No," Dick with a real smile this time.

"Thanks," and with that John left.

Dick looked at the teens. They were definitely the kids from his dream. They looked exactly the same, except for their clothes and the red-headed girl's skin was normal. "Hey, I'm-"

"Dick Grayson, youngest member of the Flying Grayson's!" said the red-headed boy. He nearly shouted it. He had grabbed Dick's hand and started to shake it really fast. His arm felt like it was coming out of his socket.

Dick pulled his arm away, rubbing the shoulder. "Nice to meet you too…"

"Oh, Wally, Wally West. Huge fan." He was smiling like a kid at Christmas.

The girl with insanely long, blond hair rolled her eyes. "You are such an idiot. I'm Artemis."

Dick raised his eyebrows. "Cool name, like the Greek goddess?"

Artemis grinned, "Yep."

"Interesting, especially considering you take archery."

It was Artemis's turn to raise her eyebrows. "How did you know?"

"The callouses on your hands, they are consistent to stringing a bow." Dick stated.

Wally looked amazed. "Wow, how did you know THAT?"

Dick thought, but paused. He had been able to read the signs on Artemis's hands, but how? "I don't know, just a good observer I guess."

Dick looked at the others, "so, what are the rest of your names?"

The red-headed girl slapped her forehead. "Hello Megan, I'm Megan Morse and this Conner Kent." The teens, except for Dick, flinched when she said 'Hello Megan'.

Dick's attention turned to Conner. "Kent, huh? Any relation to Clack Kent the reporter?"

The temperature suddenly dropped ten degrees. Wally looked scared. "Uh, it's his dad. We try not to mention it." Wally whispered.

"Why?" Dick asked confused.

"He refuses to acknowledge my existence." Conner said darkly.

"Oh, well maybe he just needs some sense knocked into him." Dick said. Conner smiled a little at the thought of someone betting up the man of steel. "And you?" Dick asked the African American with tattoos.

He smiled kindly, "I am Kaldur."

"Where are we headed to next?" Megan asked.

"Um, have you guys seen the animals yet?" They all shook their heads no. Dick smiled. "Awesome!"

BREAKLINE! **I should just piss you guys off and end it right there, but I'm not that mean.**

The group entered the tent flap of one of the bigger tents and the smell of clean animals filled the air. "It actually smells pretty clean in here," said Artemis.

"Sure, what did you expect, dead bodies?" Dick responded sarcastically.

Wally came up beside him, "Kinda."

"Contrary to what the movies say, circuses are very clean. We take care of our family and our animals are a part of that family."

"What kind of animals do you have?" Megan asked.

"Well, we have lions, tigers, bears." Dick said counting off of his fingers.

"Oh my!" Megan exclaimed. **(So sorry, but I had to do it.)**

"Isn't that dangerous?" Kaldur asked concerned.

"Sure it is, but we are trained professionals. You have to know what you are doing." Dick said. "We all learned at an early age."

"So are all of you related?" Artemis asked.

"No, just a few blood families mixed into a really big one."

Kaldur walked up to him. "You said that learned everything at an early age. How early exactly?"

Dick thought for a moment. "Well, I started training at three, but I didn't perform until I was 8."

"Doesn't stuff happen?" Megan asked.

"Sure accidents happen, but we are very careful. Thankfully none of us have been hurt but sometimes Sitka gets loose."

A confused look passed over their faces. "Who's Sitka?" Wally asked.

As if answering his question, a long, gray trunk wrapped around Dick's waist and lifted him into the air. He gave a startled yell. "Dick! Wally, go get some help!" Kaldur shouted.

"No, no, it's okay." Dick's voice stopped them. "She's just saying hi." Sitka roared **(I haven't the faintest idea what noise an elephant makes) **and he laughed. "Okay Sitka, put me down."

Sitka roared again and pulled Dick against her face. Dick chuckled and hugged her face. "Yes, yes I love you too. Now put me down." With a saddened moan, she relinquished her hold on the boy and put her trunk on his shoulder.

"See, she's just a big softy." Dick said still chuckling. "You can pet her if you want."

"Really?" Megan asked hesitantly.

"Sure." Dick said and soon everyone except Conner was petting her trunk.

"Don't you want to try, Conner?" Megan asked the broody teen.

"No thank you." Conner mumbled.

"She won't hurt you." Wally added.

"I'm not worried about me hurting her. I'm worried about me hurting her." Conner snapped.

"You won't hurt her." Dick said, "here." He grabbed Conner's hand and pulled him forward. He resisted a little, but Dick managed to get him in front. He gently placed Conner's hand on Sitka's trunk and started rubbing it up down. A smile slowly appeared on Conner's face. Dick ginned. "See, nothing to be afraid of."

Megan clapped her hands excitedly. "Way to go, Con!" Wally shouted.

"Hey, I'll get you guys some fruit feed her." Dick said and he left the tent.

BREAKLINE!

Dick walked up to the storage tent, going through a list of inventory in his head. 'Ok fruits are in the back of the tent. Oh joy.' He started shuffling through boxes when shouting caught his attention. He backed out of the tent and fallowed the noise. He stopped outside Mr. Haley's trailer as the shouting grew. He couldn't make out what they were saying.

Suddenly the door burst open and a man in an Italian suit stormed out. He pivoted on hid foot and stared down Mr. Haley. "I swear you will regret this Haley!"

"I run an honest business, Mr. Zucco. You will get nothing from me!" Mr. Haley shouted. His face was red and his breath was coming out in pants. Dick hardly ever saw Mr. Haley mad and it was not a pretty sight.

Zucco smirked. "Whatever." He turned his back to Mr. Haley and walked into Dick knocking him over.

"Hey!" Dick shouted.

"Out of the way kid!" Zucco snarled. He soon turned the corner and disappeared.

Dick stood up and dusted himself off. "Jerk, "he mumbled.

"You all right, Dick?" Mr. Haley asked after he had calmed himself down.

"Yeah, who was that?" Dick asked.

Mr. Haley sighed. "No one you need concern yourself with, lad." He started to turn away but stopped a look of confusion on his face. "What were you doing here anyway?"

"Oh, I was, um, getting some fruit for Sitka." Dick said.

Mr. Haley starred at him suspiciously. "Very well, off with you then."

"Yes, sir." Dick said and he sped off toward the animal tent.

OMGSH ANOTHER BREAKLINE!

Dick walked back into the tent. His mind swirling with what he had just seen. "Hey, where's the fruit?" Wally asked.

Dick blinked. "What?"

"Dude, where is the fruit?" Wally repeated slowly.

"Oh, um, there wasn't any." Dick replied.

"Are you okay?" Megan asked.

"Yeah, hey why don't we go see the Big Tent?" Dick faked another smile.

"Ok!" Megan said buy his cover up.

The group walked toward the Big Tent. One of the works walked passed Dick brushing his shoulder. "Excuse me," said the deep voice. Dick looked up, but the man was already gone. He looked familiar. He shrugged it off and caught up with the others. They entered and saw the rest of the students. Being at the circus must have cheered everyone up. They all were standing around chatting excitedly to each other. John walked up to them. "There you are. We are just about to start." He turned to Dick. "You head on up."

"Okay." Dick walked toward the platform and he passed a box of supplies. He stopped and looked at the item on top. It was a grappling hook and rope. Something nagged at the back of his mind. He was going to need it, though he didn't know why. He grabbed it, deciding to trust his gut.

Dick climbed the ladder and stood next to his dad. He looked down at his mom and the twins. His mom couldn't perform until a few months after the baby was born and the twins weren't old enough yet. John looked over at him. "You ready?" He asked.

Dick grinned. "Born ready."

John swung out and performed flip after flip. Their small crowd 'ooed' and 'ahhed' and clapped. No one noticed the thin strings of the rope breaking. John landed on the opposite platform. The crowd cheered. "Okay Dick, go!" He shouted.

Dick nodded and jumped. He flipped once, twice, three times and grabbed hold of the swing. At the pinnacle of his swing, he turned his body and grabbed the bar again. He flipped back to the first. When he grabbed the bar, he felt it snap. Dick glanced up at the frayed ends. He could hear his mother screaming his name as he fell

**Dun dun da! Cliff hanger! Ok longest chapter ever. I am sorry this took so long. Took a lot to get motivated again. Please check out my other story called Games. It is a crossover between young justice and hunger games. Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

Dick heard his mother scream as he fell through the air. There was no net beneath him so he had to act fast. He pulled out the grappling hook from around his waist. He swung it up toward the second bar. It hooked and pulled taught. It felt like his arms were being ripped out of his sockets as he was pulled out of his present course. The bar groaned and snapped just as Dick let go of the rope. His feet hit the ground and he rolled from the impact. He came to rest just outside the center ring.

Dick was instantly surrounded by the crowd, shouting out to him. A deafening roar of "Are you okay?" and "What the heck happened?" bombarded his ears.

His mom swept him up in a crushing hug. "Oh my gosh, Dick!" She leaned back and grabbed his face, looking him over. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine mom." Dick reassured her. The twins wrapped themselves around his legs.

John pushed through the anxious crowd. He was pale and looked like he had seen a ghost. "Jeez, Dick, I'm so sorry. I should've checked the ropes before we started." He pulled Dick into a hug.

Dick looked past his father's shoulder. His eyes landed on the broken bars lying on the ground. Images from his dream flashed through his head and he shook them off. He couldn't believe he had almost died. Something inside of him stirred. He glanced up at the still swinging ends. Something wasn't right.

Dick squeezed out of his father's grasp and pushed through the crowd. He knelt down next to the rope and picked up one of the frayed ends. Half of the strings where rough were they had separated because of his weight. The other half was smooth like it had been cut. Dick's eyes widened. "Sabotage!" He whispered.

John knelt down beside him. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"The rope was cut," Dick said.

"What?" John grabbed the rope from Dick.

"There," Dick pointed to the two different spots. "See, one side is rough where it had snapped, but the other side is smoother, like it had been cut."

The crowd had gathered around them. Mary was listening to their conversation. "But who would do such a thing?"

Dick's mind went back to the conversation he had overheard between Mr. Haley and that man. Then he remembered seeing the same man coming out of the big tent. "There was a man who was here earlier."

"Did you know him?" John asked.

"No but I got a good look at his face."

"All right," John glanced up at Mary. "I think it is time we called the police."

BREAKLIN!

Flashes of red, white, and blue lights filled the entrance of Haley's Circus. The students from Gotham High stood to one side, being questioned by a Gotham cop. Dick stood with his family as his dad talked to the commissioner. This whole thing had shaken his family, but he was completely calm and that's what scared him. He wasn't bothered by the fact that he was almost killed. What bothered him was that he felt completely used to it. And when the heck did he learn how to save himself that way?

Dick was pulled out of his thoughts when John walked over with the commissioner. "Okay, my men checked the perimeter, nothing out of the ordinary. Whoever sabotaged the ropes is long gone."

"Thank you commissioner." Mary said sighing in relief.

The commissioner turned toward Dick. "I want you to come down to the station tomorrow. We are going to set you up with a sketch artist and see if we can get a photo of this guy."

"Okay," Dick replied.

Commissioner Gordon turned back to his parents. "I'm going to have someone come and take a look at the crime scene. He shouldn't bother you."

John nodded. The commissioner bid them good night and left with his unit. The school bus had arrived to take the students back to Gotham High. Kaldur and the others walked up to Dick. "So is everything all right?" Kaldur asked.

"Hopefully, my family is still shaken up but they should be fine in the morning." Dick replied.

"Are you okay?" Megan asked her concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah."

"Hey, tomorrow after school, do want to hang out? We can show you all the good things about Gotham," asked Wally.

Dick smirked, "_good _things?" The others chuckled. "We'll see. My parent might not let me out of my room after this."

Wally hit him playfully on the arm. "Well we could always kidnap you."

Dick laughed. "Well if you can, we always meet at Mt. Justice Café at 3:45."

"I'll be there." Dick waved good-bye to his new friends as they got on the big yellow bus the Lolan always called The Twinkie.

OMGSH WHAT IS THIS? ANOTHER BREAKLINE!

It was nearly 1:00 in the morning and Dick was walking the grounds. His mind refused to shut up and let him sleep. The events of the past few weeks buzzed around in his brain like angry bees. Everything started going weird the day he spazed out. It was like he woke up a different person. But what was really weird was the fact that he couldn't remember why he freaked out. He remembered running somewhere, his dad, but that was it.

Dick passed by the Big tent and saw a light pass through the tent wall. He stopped and a shadow moved passed. 'Didn't the commish say someone was going to stop buy? At 1:00 in the morning? Yeah, right.' He slipped inside, going unnoticed by the dark figure. It was crouched in the center ring. It was a giant bat.


	9. Chapter 9

Bruce sat back in his seat and rubbed his burning eyes. He hadn't sleep in over thirty-six hours and he was starting to feel the effects. The new case he was working on was yanking him in so many different directions. The owner of a small drug store just outside Crime Alley was being rattled for protection money. It shouldn't really be a surprise, if you work near Crime Alley; you're defiantly going to become a victim of crime. The owner refused to pay and so the culprits executed his six year son with a single bullet to the head.

The owner had backed out of the investigation, but not without giving him a name, Sid the Squid. He had looked it up in the police data-base but all that came up was more aliases. Bruce rested his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes for a moment. "No luck finding the man, sir?" Alfred asked, coming down the stairs that separated the world of Bruce Wayne from Batman's.

"None, every time I get a lead, it's just another alias." Bruce replied leaning forward once more and continued his search.

"You'll find him, sir. I have the up most confidence in you."

An alarm sound on the computer, Bruce presses a button on the console. "It would seem that Commissioner Gordon may have a new lead." Alfred said, glancing at the message.

He walked toward the batmobile, slipping the cowl over his and reentering the world of darkness.

Gordon stood in front of the batsignal. A warm breeze ruffled his salt and pepper hair. He rolled his stiff shoulder, popping the aching joint. He was getting too old for this. He had thought about retiring for the whole two seconds that Barbra had mentioned it, but all that went out the window when he got a call about a six-year-old's execution. This city needed all the uncorrupted help it could get.

"Gordon," said a deep baritone behind him. Gordon jumped and whirled around. He could make out the bat-shaped silhouette against the dark horizon, the white of the mask shown like stars.

"You really need to stop doing that before you give me a heart attack." Gordon said to the shadow.

The Dark Knight glided forward and stood in front of him. "You called."

Gordon handed him a file. A gloved hand appeared from under the black cape and flipped through the file. "Earlier this evening, Haley's Circus was visited by a man. He apparently tried to scare the owner into paying him protection money but he was refused. Later, the trapeze equipment was tampered with and one of the performers fell."

Batman looked up. "Who?" he asked.

"Richard Grayson, the son of John and Mary Grayson. He was practice a routine when the bar he was on broke. He fell nearly four stories before he could save himself."

Batman raised an eyebrow (which couldn't be seen under the cowl), impressed. "He saved himself?"

Gordon nodded, equally impressed. "He had a grappling hook on him and he used." Batman turned a page and saw a picture of Richard. He was about thirteen and had raven black hair and blue eyes. His smile lit up the whole picture.

Batman looked up, "and you think this is related to the Garleen Case." It wasn't a question.

"There isn't enough evidence to formally sate it, but the MOs are similar." Gordon said. "Richard said that he saw a man arguing with Mr. Haley before practice. I'm having him and Mr. Haley come in for questioning in the morning." He turned away. "Oh, I told the family I'd be sending someone if you wanted to-" He turned back to and empty roof.

He sighed. "I hate it when he does that." He mumbled to himself.

Batman pushed back the tent flap. He pulled out a flash light and scanned the scene. It was probably already contaminated by the staff and lousy forensics teams, but what the heck, maybe he'd find something they missed; which was usually the case.

He saw the trapeze bars and he started forward. He knelt down and picked up an end. Yep, defiantly sabotage. He dropped and his gazed rested on something a little farther away. He walked over and picked it up. It was a tooth pick. He didn't think it would be worthy evidence, considering how many people have been in and out of here, but you never know. He slipped the tooth pick into a small evidence bag and deposited into his utility belt.

A sharp intake of breath snapped Batman out of his thoughts. He whirled around and shined the light on the unwelcomed visitor, blinding them. His eyes narrowed as he gazed into the face of Richard Grayson.

**Dun dun dddddduuuuuunnnnn! Way to go Dick, he's spotted you. Well, REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10

Dick blinked and tried to shield his eyes from the blinding light. "Who are you?" asked a deep, gravelly voice.

"Do you mind not trying to blind me," Dick asked, lifting his hand to block the worst of the light.

The light disappeared and he blinked again, trying to get his eyes to adjust. When they did, he found himself face-to-face with Gotham's infamous Dark Knight. He felt his heart thud against his rib cage. He was static to be in the presents of his favorite superhero, but he kept his expression void of any emotion besides mischief. "Who are you?" Batman asked again.

"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer?" Dick replied with a smirk, in side he was freaking out. _I just said that to Batman! HA! _He could see annoyance already building up in Batman's posture. The infamous bat-glare was turned on him, but he was surprisingly unfazed.

"What are you doing here?" Batman asked the child.

"Me? I live here. What are YOU doing here?" Dick asked. He knew he probably shouldn't get on Batman's bad side, but this was way too much fun. He couldn't suppress a giant smile from forming on his face.

Batman felt a growl forming in his throat. This kid was getting on his nerves and he was ENJOYING it! He turned back towards the "crime scene" with a flourish of his cape. "Go home."

"Um, I think you missed the part where I said I LIVED HERE." He said the last part slowly.

Batman clinched his fists. "Go away."

Dick crossed his arms with a smirk. "Make me."

Batman whirled around suddenly and threw something at his feet. Dick gave out a surprised yelp and flipped away as the capsule hit the ground and exploded, releasing a gas. It filled the area and hid Batman from view. The gas dispersed and batman was gone. Dick walked over to the place he last saw him and reached down and picked up the broken capsule. He glanced around for the bat but there was no sign of him. Dick clenched the capsule in his hand. _I'll find out who you are, _he thought, _no matter what it takes._

BREAKLINE

**Praise the lord, writer's block has been vanquished! Thanks to my sister, I now know where I want to go with this. I will still accept ideas if you want to send them. Next chapter: we find out what's really going on.**


	11. Chapter 11

**You guys would be so proud of me, I FINALLY GOT OVER MY WRITER'S BLOCK! YAY! I know what I am going to do! So, since it took months for me to update, you guys get a super long chapter. Enjoy.**

_Kid Flash: B02, _was all the warning Kaldur had before a blur of red and yellow nearly barreled into him. "Havetheyfoundhim?" Wally asked in super speed. Kaldur had no troubling figuring out what he had said though; it was the same thing he asked him every day. Kaldur answered him with the same answer he told him every day that he asked.

"Not yet."

Wally's shoulder's sagged. "They should have found him by now." He mumbled.

Kaldur placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "They _will _find him, Wally."

Wally smiled, "Of course they will."

BREAKLINE!

He has felt this happy in a long time, not since his Alice left him. He tip-toed happily to the observation window; adjusting his soiled top hat as he went. He gazed down at the computer screen, checking the boy's vitals. "All holding steady, perfect," the man said with glee. "And what beautiful brainwaves you have."

He leaned forward pressing his face and hands against the glass. "What are you dreaming of, Boy Wonder?" He asked curiously.

The boy was strapped to a metal table. On his head sat a metal, crown-like helmet with wires running from its circumference to the machine at the end of the small room. The boy didn't move, except for his eyes, which flickered continuously underneath closed eyelids.

WHAT'S THIS!? ANOTHER BREAKILINE?!

"Please tell me again why we have to go?" Dick asked as his mother adjusted his clean, rented tux.

Mary sighed, "Mr. Wayne is making a generous donation to the circus and it is only polite that we attend."

Dick groaned. He grabbed his bow tie off his bed and tied it around his neck. "Dick, you ready?" John asked from their living room/kitchen.

"Yeah," Dick said.

Suddenly, a frog jumped on his back. He wrapped his arms around Dick's neck and his legs around his waist, limiting his movement. "Why can't we go with you?" Lolan asked with a pout.

"Because it's past your bed time," Mary said slipping on her coat with John's help.

"But we want to go to the party," Lydia added.

Dick reached back and plucked Lolan off of him and tucked him into bed. "I'll tell you all of the boring details tomorrow, but only if you go to sleep, Okay?"

"Okay," Lolan said before burying himself into his pillows.

Dick kissed him on the head before closing the door softly behind him.

OH NO! IT'S ATTACK OF THE BREAKLINES!

The sound of classical music filled Dick's ears as he got out of the cab. "And cue the boring evening," he said with a huff.

"How do you know it's going to be boring?" Mary asked walking beside her son.

"I can give you three good reasons how. One, the classical music is a sure sign. Two, this whole place is filled with rich snobs whose only worry in the world is who is hot enough to date and how much money they are racking in. And three, I'm going to be the only teen there."

"You never know, there could be a cute girl there." John said with a wink.

"Dad!"

"John, don't tease him and Dick, at least try to have a good time." Mary said before knocking.

The giant oak doors swung open and the friendly face of the home's caretaker appeared. The name Alfred kept repeating in Dick's head before he shook it clear. _There's no way that's his name,_ Dick thought to himself.

"Welcome to Wayne Manor, my name is Alfred."

Dick blinked. How the heck did he know his name? He's never met the guy before.

"-alright?"

"Huh?" Dick asked returning to reality.

"I asked if you were alright, young sir. You seemed a little startled." Alfred said.

Both of his parents were staring at him, waiting for him to answer. "Uh, yeah just… Déjà vu?"

Alfred led them into the hall. The place was freaking huge. Expensive hand-made rugs covered the imported carpets and hardwood floors. Rare tapestries, artifacts, and paintings lined the walls. A giant, crystal chandler hung from the ceiling. Dick had a sudden urge to swing from it.

"It's beautiful." Mary gasped.

"Thank you, Mrs. Grayson." Alfred said as he brought them to another large door. He opened it and the sound of laughter and music flowed out. The ballroom was filled with people in fancy clothing.

They were barely ten feet in the room when they were approached by a tall, clean cut man holding a glass of champagne. John recognized him immediately and let out a quite groan which Mary quieted with an elbow to the ribs. "John, Mary, it's been so long," said the man.

Mary's eyes lit up and her smile widened. "Bruce! It's so good to see you!" Bruce hugged her gently, minding her pregnant belly.

"I was afraid you weren't going to come." Bruce said shaking John's hand (though John a bit reluctantly).

Dick was confused. Why were his parents greeting Bruce Wayne like an old friend? Bruce turned to Dick and Dick paused. There was something in his eyes, something hidden. "And you must be Dick," Bruce said extending a hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

"And you must be Bruce Wayne," Dick said shacking his hand hesitantly. "Funny, I never knew you and my parents were so well acquainted."

"Yes, well, I used to work for Haley's Circus as a roustabout before I returned to Gotham. Your parents and I were close friends." Bruce said flashing a smile at John and Mary, which the later eagerly returned.

"Yeah, were." John mumbled but Bruce must have heard because his eyes darkened for a second.

"Right," Dick said hoping to change the awkward subject.

"Well, I must see to my other guests, but please, enjoy the party." Bruce said before leaving them.

"You didn't tell you guys knew Bruce Wayne." Dick said turning to his parents.

"Yes, well, that was a long time ago." John said quickly. "Look, Mary, there's the Commissioner. I want to ask him if he has any leads on our case. Have fun, Dick."

Dick looked at his dad in shock." You're leaving me here _alone_!?"

"Oh, honey, it's not so bad. Just talk to people." Mary said to her horrified son as her husband started to steer her over to where he saw the Commissioner. "But no alcohol," she said sternly. "If I find out that you had even a sip of champagne, you will be in big trouble mister. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am," Dick said with a smile.

"Oh come on Mary, let the kid live a little." John said rolling his eyes.

"He is thirteen, John. He shouldn't even be thinking about drinking alcohol." John and Mary walked away, arguing.

Dick chuckled and moved toward a wall, trying to free himself from the sea of bodies. All of this was so familiar somehow and it was starting to give him a headache. "Good, I'm not the only kid here," said a voice next to him. Dick turned and saw a girl around his age standing there. She had red hair and beautiful green eyes. She wore a dark purple halter top dress with black belt that went to her knees and silver high heeled shoes. Her hair hung in soft ringlets around her shoulders.

"E-excuse me?" Dick stuttered. Being the hormonal teenage boy that he was, he thought she was hot.

"I'm Barbra, Barbra Gordon." She said holding out her hand to shake.

He took it hesitantly, "Dick Grayson?"

"Grayson? Like 'The Flying Grayson'?"

"Um, yeah," Dick replied rubbing the back of his neck.

"Cool," She said. "My dad takes me to your show every time you're in Gotham."

"Um, thanks, I guess. Wait, is your dad Commissioner Gordon?" Dick asked.

Barbra's eyes shown with pride and she stood up straighter, "the one and only."

"Don't you get worried that he will never come back?" He asked.

Barbra stared at him, surprised by his question. It took Dick a second to realize that he might have said the wrong thing. "Oh man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No, it's okay," Barbra said. "Yeah, every day, but I can't help but be proud of him. He helps people and that's what I want to do."

She smiled at him and he smiled back. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Do you want to dance?"

Dick was taken aback by her random question, "What?"

"Do you want to dance?" She asked a little more slowly.

Dick stuttered as she pulled him to the dance floor. They squeezed passed a few couples dancing, one of which was Dick's parents. They stopped in a spot and Barbra proceeded to grab one of his hands and place the other on her waist. Dick blushed when he felt how firm the muscles in her back were. There was about a two foot gap between them and Barbra pulled him in closer. "You can get close you know, you won't bite."

"Don't or won't?" Dick asked still blushing.

"Depends," She said.

"Depends on what?"

"On how lucky you are."

Dick's face turned redder.

"First time dancing with a girl?" Barbra asked with a smirk.

"Uh, yeah," he said with a small, embarrassed laugh.

"It's okay, just sway back and forth to the beat and you'll be dancing in no time."

Dick began to side-step with Barbra and before he knew it, they were going in a small circle. "See," Barbra said with a smile. "You've got the hang of it."

"Haha, thanks. I never imagined that, when I came here, I would learn how to dance." Dick said

"The world it just full of surprises."

"It sure is." Dick said. He stared at her. Something about this red-head beauty was achingly familiar.

"What?" Barbra said shaking him out of his thoughts.

"Oh nothing, it's just… you seem very familiar to me. Have we ever met before?" Dick asked.

Barbra thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so. I think I would remember."

"Yeah probably, It's just…all of this…it's like one big case of Déjà vu."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's been happening to me a lot lately. Everything about this place is familiar and I get random flashes of things."

Barbra looked at him curiously. "What kinds of flashes?"

"Like images and scenes, it's like my brain is trying to remember something."

"Well, it sounds like you lost your memory or something."

"Yeah, or something.'

They were silent for a moment. "You know," Barbra said staring at something over Dick's shoulder. "That couple has been staring at us since we started dancing."

Dick turned around and saw his parents watching them with huge smiles on their faces. He turned a deep shade of red and ducked his head. "What?" Barbra asked.

"Those are my parents." He mumbled in embarrassment.

"Really?" Barbra asked before she started laughing.

"Don't laugh," Dick said with a smile. "I'm never going to hear the end of this."

"Is dancing with me that horrible?' Barbra questioned with playful offense.

"It's not that. My dad was teasing me about finding a cute girl earlier." His face still a little red.

The both laughed. "Well if I find one, I'll let you know." Barbra said.

"But I already have." Dick said and they both blushed.

They were so busy talking they didn't notice the song had changed to a faster on and some of the other guests were watching them with amusement, Dick's parents included. They both blushed even darker and abruptly stopped. "Do you want to get some air?" Dick asked.

"I would love some air." Barbra said quickly, following him. They went out the open, glass, French doors that led to the gardens. The sat on a wooden bench in front of a rose bush.

"So, where have you been? I mean, you belong to a traveling circus right? You've probably been all over the world." Barbra asked turning her body toward him.

"Oh yeah, I've been pretty much everywhere, Italy, Paris, China, you name it."

"Have you been to Romania?"

"Yeah, I was born there." Dick said.

"That's so cool. I've always wanted to go there. I hear that it's beautiful and I think Romanian boys are so cute."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Was that a compliment?"

Barbra smirked at him. "Maybe it was."

Dick smiled. He reached behind him and gently plucked a rose from the bush. He handed it to Barbra. "Thank you, it's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." Dick replied.

"Getting cheesy now, are we?"

"Oh, you know you love it." Dick said with a smirk. Neither of them realized that with every word they got closer to each other.

"Would either of you care for a drink?" Alfred interrupted. The two jerked away from each other and looked up at him. Alfred had a knowing smile playing on his face.

"Yes, thank you." Barbra said taking a glass.

"Um, my parents don't want me to drink." Dick said rubbing his neck.

"It's a soda, sir." Alfred said amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Oh," Dick said before taking the other glass, blushing. "Thanks, Alfie."

Alfred raised an eyebrow, "Alfie?"

"Oh, sorry, um, I give nicknames to people I meet." Dick said.

"Really? What nickname would you give me?" Barbra asked.

"Babs," Dick said immediately.

"Babs," Barbra said testing it out. "I like it."

"Good, I was hoping you wo-AH!" Dick cried dropping the glass and clutched his head. Images flashed in his head. Images of Alfred baking cookies. Alfred wrapping gauze around his wounds. Alfred coming into his room to wake him up in the morning. Barbra sitting with him at lunch. Barbra and him sitting on the couch, watching reruns of Avatar: The Last Air bender. Barbra kissing him in a closet. The images came so quickly and left just as fast, leaving Dick bent over and gasping for breath.

"Mr. Grayson, are you alright?" Alfred asked with his hands on Dick's shoulders. Barbra had gotten closer to him and had her hand on his back. Concern was written all over her face.

"Yeah," Dick said slowly sitting up. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"I'm going to get your parents." Barbra said starting to get up, but Dick grabbed her arm.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine. It's just a headache." He said before turning to Alfred. "Do you have Tylenol or something?" he asked.

The butler looked at the boy incredulously before sighing. "Of course, sir. Please follow me." He grabbed the tray he had set on the ground and stood. Dick followed him back through the manor with Barbra following closely behind him.

They enter a spacious kitchen. "Please sit up here, sir." Alfred said gesturing to perfectly clean counter top. Dick jumped up as Alfred opened a cabinet and took out a first aid kit. He removed a small flash light and moved toward Dick.

"That's not necessary Alfred." Dick said trying to wave him away.

"Humor me," Alfred asked. Dick sighed as Alfred shined the light into Dick's right eye, then his left. "Well, nothing seems to be wrong." He said before giving Dick two extra strength Tylenol. "You stay here and I will be back." He said before walking out of the kitchen.

Dick popped the pill in his mouth and took a drink of water. "What happened?" Barbra asked.

"I don't know. I just got a flash of images about Alfred and you."

Barbra raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Really?"

"Not like that," Dick replied rolling his eyes. "Images like Alfred baking cookies and patching me up and waking me up in the morning." Dick said taking another swig of water.

"And of me?" Barbra asked her sassy stance in place.

"You and me eating lunch at some school, watching Avatar, and you…um…kissing me." Dick said clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck.

"'Not like that' huh?" Barbra said with a smirk.

"I can't control what I see."

"Right."

"I'm serious." Dick said sliding off the counter to stand in front of her. "It was like we had feelings for each other. Maybe that's why we hit off so quickly, like we knew each other before."

"But we've never met before now."

"I know, maybe my brain knows something we don't." Dick said. They were silent for a moment, mulling over their conversation when Dick smirked. "You know, maybe we should-"

"Not on your life," Barbra said cutting him off.

"Aw, why not? It might trigger something."

"The only thing it will trigger, are your hormones, boy wonder." Barbra said turning away.

Dick stopped short, his eyes widened in shock. "W-what did you call me?"

Barbra turned back, looking confused, "Boy wonder?"

Dick stared at her, "But… how did… I-"

"Barbra," said a voice. Both Barbra and Dick's heads snapped to the door. Commissioner Gordon was half way in the doorway, beckoning her. "Come here, there's someone I want you to meet."

Barbra looked back and forth between Dick and her father. Dick nodded his head and she moved toward her dad. Once they left, Dick moved toward the door on the opposite end. He didn't particularly feel like rejoining the party. The door opened to a large dining room thing a table that could seat the whole circus and then some. He walked to the end and opened another door that led into a long hallway. He went around checking doors. Most where locked, but the few that weren't were spare bedrooms.

Dick came to the last door and twisted the handle. The door opened and he stuck his head in. It was a large study with rows of book shelves lining the wall and a mahogany desk in the center. An old grandfather clock stood to the right. The pendulum stuck in one place, but it twitched as if it was trying to move.

Dick opened the glass door and pulled on the pendulum, trying to free it. It wouldn't budge. He placed his hand at the base of the pendulum, feeling for anything weird. He touched what felt like a latch and he switched it on.

The grandfather clock moved out, startling Dick. The clock then moved to the side, revealing a dark, descending stair case. Dick stared at it for a moment. "Cool," he whispered as he descended the clock clicking shut behind him. It got a tad cooler the farther he went.

The moment he reached the bottom step, lights flickered on overhead and Dick gasped. He had entered and three-level cave, complete with giant computer and lab station. To one side was a training area. Farther back was some sort of gallery. Inside were glass cases filled strange items, like a dummy that looked like Al Capone and a weird-looking gun. There was also a life-size T-rex and a giant penny. And in the center of it all was the vehicle that he had seen a lot on Gotham News: The Batmobile. Dick had stumbled in on the freaking Batcave and the only thing that came to mind was _Whoa._

**Wow… longest chapter ever. I think my record was 1,900 something. Definitely beat that one. Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm super excited to see what happens next. Well, anyway, REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, you guys get another really long chapter, but hey, I'm having fun writing this. We'll see if this one beats my last chapter. And thank you to everyone who reviewed, it helps me a lot. And, also, to those who asked questions, I'm not going to answer them because all will be revealed in due time, thank you. Now, enjoy.**

"No way," Dick whispered in awe after picking his jaw up off the floor. He moved toward the batmobile and ran his fingers across the smooth metal. He shuddered as he had a private 'fan-girl' moment. His thoughts right now were along the lines of _I can't believe I'm actually touching it! _But he was totally not fan-girling, nope. "This is unreal." He knelt down, admiring her fine curves.

Dick stood and moved through the vast gallery. His eyes shifted to a strange, silver gun resting in a glass display case. Chills suddenly crawled up his spine. He shivered and turned away, rubbing the goose-bumps on his arms. He stopped at the giant penny. He craned his neck to try and see the top. _How the heck did he get that in here? _

Dick walked over to the weapons rack. There were so many different types of weapons and each was just as deadly as the next. He picked up a batarang and rolled it around in his fingers. The foreign device fit comfortably in his hand and the strange, familiar weight relaxed him. He turned it over and pressed a small, semi-hidden button. The batarang snapped open to its full height, waiting for him to use.

The batarang clattered to the ground as Dick clutched his head. His skull felt like it was being split open. His body soon joined the fallen batarang.

_Agony filled him as curled up tighter in the chair. The fire did nothing to sooth the cold feeling inside of him. He gazed up at the painting of his mom and dad. The familiar burn of tears came but he pushed them back. He was done crying. _

_ The sound of an opening door pushed Dick farther into the chair. He peaked over the side and saw Alfred walk out of the clock, the clock! He flipped a switch and the clock closed. Alfred turned and Dick quickly ducked, hoping he hadn't been seen. He waited a few moments to make sure he wasn't coming back before he walked over to the clock. He opened the clock's base and felt for the switch. The clock moved away from the wall to reveal a dark stair case. _

_ Dick's jaw hit the floor as he gazed around to large cave. He had just found the Batcave. The freaking Batcave! "Wow," Dick whispered as he stepped in. "Wow, wow, wow, wow!" He glanced round the cave, taking in the giant computer and gallery. A smile crept onto his face. "Batman," He whispered. The roar of an engine stopped Dick in his tracks. The batmobile screeched to a halt in the center of the cave._

_ "Ah oh," Dick said. He quickly hid behind a crate as Batman came up to the top level. Dick curled into himself as Batman walked passed him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he passed. He stood up, looking over his shoulder. He turned around and came face to face with the Batman. _

_Batman glared at him but Dick just stared at him wide-eyed. "Your-" Dick started. Batman glared harder before removing his cowl. Dick soon found himself staring into the face of Bruce Wayne. _

BREAKLINE!

Bruce had been catching up with Mary and a strangely reluctant John when his phone beeped. He politely excuse d himself and pulled out his phone. The emergency alert to the batcave flashed on his screen. His eyes widened. Someone was in the batcave!

Before he could react, gun shots rang through the air. Guests flinched and screamed. Bruce whirled around to find himself face to face with the barrel of a gun. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Wayne," said the man behind the gun. "Not if you want to see tomorrow."

WHAT'S THIS!? ANOTHER BREAKLINE?!

The first thing Dick was aware of was the splitting headache. He could feel the cold, hard ground beneath his cheek. He opened his eyes. The darkness that swirled around him was almost comforting. He sat up slowly, clutching his head. Had that really just happened? There was no way that was real. It felt like it was a dream. Yeah, that's what it was, a dream; a very, freakishly vivid dream.

Dick stood up on unsteady legs. He felt drained. He looked down and saw the batarang. He must have dropped it when he passed out. He picked it up and slipped it into his pocket. Batman must lose hundreds of these little guys, he won't notice if one more goes missing.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded and the computer started flashing. Dick went over to it. Alarms all around Wayne Manor had been triggered. Gunshots echoed through the cave as Dick looked toward the stair case. It sounded like somebody had crashed the party, no doubt going for the generous donations. Dick started towards the stairs before he stopped. He turned back and grabbed another batarang, just in case.

WHAT IS THIS BLASFAMY! BBBBRRRRREEEEEAAAAAKKKKKLLLLLLIIIIINNNNNNEEEEEE!

Bruce hated pretending to be the helpless victim, but he had no choice. He couldn't exactly go all 'Dark Knight' on these fools and risk revealing his identity. Most of the guests were herded to the middle of the room and were surrounded by men with guns. Bruce had been forced up front next to their leader.

"Where's the cash?" The head honcho asked, waving his gun in Brue's face.

"Not here," Bruce said.

"What did you say?" the guys asked pressing the gun to Bruce's temple.

"I said 'not here,'" Bruce replied through clenched teeth. "There's no money here."

"Well, where is it?"

"It's already in the bank." Bruce said.

Bruce felt the safety of the gun click off. "You're not in a good position to be lying to me Mr. Wayne."

"I'm not." Bruce said. "You see that computer on the center table?" he asked pointing. The man followed his finger and saw the computer. "We don't keep the money here, for obvious reasons. Anyone who wishes to donate types in their bank account number and the amount they wish to donate and it is automatically transferred."

"Really?" The man said with a small smile. He nodded and one of his men pulled a woman out of the crowd. Her husband tried to reach her, but he was hit in the head with the butt of the gun and knocked unconscious. The crowd screamed. The woman was pulled forward and Bruce's eyes widened. It was Mary. The man cocked the gun and pushed it to her temple. "Now Mr. Wayne, you have ten seconds to tell me the bank account numbers or this little mommy dies."

GUESS WHOOO!? THAT'S RIGHT! IT'S ME, BREAKLINE!

Dick crouched down and peered through the banister bars. The guests were all rounded up in the center of the room. Bruce was up front with the 'brains of the operation' pointing a gun at his head.

Dick went back behind the wall, he need to do something. He quietly went to the closet and opened the door. There were mostly old trench coats but Dick spotted a dusty, black hoodie in the corner. He tugged off his suit jacket and pulled on the hoodie. It was a little big but it would do the trick. He then ripped of the silky part of the inside of the suit jacket. He tore off a single, long strip. He pulled out a batarang and used it to cut eyeholes in the fabric. He tied the fabric around his eyes and secured it before he pulled the hood up.

Dick moved back to the banister and he stopped dead. The head guy had his mom, his gun pressed against her head. He felt his blood boil. No one messed with his mom. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the batarangs. He quickly took aim. He had only one shot at this. He took a deep breath and threw the batarang.

**I contemplated whether or not to stop it here but I decided to be nice. **

Bruce could feel sweat dripping down his neck as the man counted. There wasn't anything he could do and for the first time in a long time, he felt completely helpless.

"4…3…2-" The man counted. There was a strange whistling that Bruce recognized immediately. A sharp black object struck the head honcho's hand. The man yelped and dropped the gun.

Mary screamed and ducked. She scrambled toward Bruce. Bruce grabbed her just as all the lights shut off, cloaking the ballroom in complete darkness. Bruce pulled Mary off to the side. He could barely make out her shape in the sea of black. "Stay here," he said over the sounds of screaming. He felt her nod before he jumped up and faded into the shadows.

WE MEET AGAIN, BREAKLINE!

Despite the situation, Dick couldn't help but fist pump when the batarang hit its mark. Pride filled up inside him. He just saved his mom and The Batman. How many people could say that?

His little victory dance was short lived when he heard a shout behind him. He turned and saw two thugs. One held a sawed off shot gun and the other a Walther 22. The shot gun fired but Dick was already up in the air. He flipped and planted his feet into the guy's back, sending him head first into the banister. Still in the air, Dick twisted his body and used his left foot to knock the gun of the second guy's hand at the same time as his right foot connected with his face.

Dick landed in a crouch. He swiftly spun, tripping the first guy sending him back down to the ground. Guy number two picked up his gun and turned to Dick. Dick rushed forward and grabbed the slide and pushed it back, releasing the clip. He punched the guy in the head successfully knocking him out. Dick felt the first guy come up behind him and threw his elbow into his solar plexus. The guy doubled over and Dick slammed his elbow into the guy's temple. He quickly joined his friend in dream land.

A gasp made Dick turn toward the stairs. There stood Barbra with her mouth wide open. He smirked and gave her a playful salute before jumping over the banister.

Dick landed on another thug's shoulders, sending him to the ground. He rolled forward. He placed his hands on the ground and pushed up, catching the guy under the chin. Dick heard a guy behind him go down and he turned. Batman stood behind him glaring for all he's worth. Dick smile up at him sheepishly before he waved and flipped away. Before Batman could go after him another thug lunged at him.

Dick ran into a deserted hallway and quickly removed his make-shift mask and hoodie. He quickly threw them into a closet. He went back to the ballroom and quietly opened the door. The tugs were tied up around the room and Gotham PD was scattered around. Dick moved through, trying to find his parents. "Dick!" Dick turned and saw Commissioner Gordon coming toward him. "Where have you been?"

"I went to the bathroom. When I came back I heard gun shots so I hid." Dick said giving the Commissioner his best I'm-just-an-innocent-bystander face.

"All right, son. Let's find your parents." The Commissioner said putting a hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the exit.

Dick saw his parents standing off to the side, worry etched into their features. His dad held his mom. He had a bit of blood on the side of his head. Dick shrugged off the Commissioner's hand and ran forward. "Mom! Dad!"

His parents turned at the sound of his voice. Seeing him, they ran for him. They met in the middle and hugged him. "Oh, Dick, we were so worried about you!" Mary said clutching onto her child. She moved back and grasped his arms almost painfully. "Where were you?!" she asked hysterically.

"I was in the bathroom. When I heard what was happening I hid." Dick said. Mary looked at him for a moment before pulling him back into a hug.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

"Dad, what happened?" Dick asked reaching up to touch the blood on his dad's face.

John grabbed his hand with a small smile. "I'm fine Dick. I'm just glad you're safe." He pulled Dick into a hug of his own. Dick looked over his father's shoulder and saw Bruce staring at him. He held the gaze for a moment before he closed his eyes and rested his head on his father's shoulder.

**Wow, long chapter. Let's see if it beat the last one. (checks the number of words). Nope missed it by 1,065 words. Dang it. Oh well, see you next time. REVIEW!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello my dear readers, Ok, I'm doing this on every one of my stories so this is kind of important. I have graduated high school, yay for me! And I leave for college in September. I just want to let you know that for a while, maybe a long while, I won't be able to update on any of my stories. I haven't stopped or given up on any of them but I just want to take some time to adjust to the life of a college student. So from now until then, I'm going to work as hard as I can to bring you updates and finish ones that I'm nearly done with. I just want to let you know that I will still be around…ok now that that's settled. On with the show!**

"Where is he Jervis!?" Batman growled slamming the smaller man into the wall.

The man only chuckled, "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat; now you wonder where he's at."

Batman grabbed the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up. "I'm not in the mood to be playing games, Jervis." Batman said pulling him close to his face.

Jervis laughed. "Oh Batman, if you want to go to Wonderland, all you have to do is follow the rabbit through the looking glass."

Batman growled and intensified his glare but Jervis just kept smiling. He threw Mad Hatter to the floor. He glanced back. "When I find him Jervis, there's not a single place on this Earth you can hide where I won't find you." The Mad Hatter took on a look of fear before the Dark Knight stormed out.

BREAKLINE!

The twins had been dancing around Dick all day, begging him to tell them about yesterday's adventure. After hours of pestering, he finally caved and told them everything; except for finding the Batcave, knowing Batman's identity, and dressing up in a hoodie and mask to kick butt and save their mom.

"Were you scared?" Lolan asked.

"A little, but I knew that we were going to be fine."

"How?" Lydia asked.

"Because Batman saved us," Dick said.

The twins started bouncing, "Did you get to see him?" Lolan asked.

Dick smiled, "I did."

They gasped, "What's he like?" they asked at the same time.

"Everything we heard and more."

The twins started jumping on the bed, giggling. Their mom came in and started laughing at their antics. "What are you two doing?"

"Mama, Mama, Dick got to see Batman!" Lydia said dancing around Mary's legs.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he said the Batman saved you guys!" Lolan shouted.

"Did he now?" Mary said looking at her eldest. Dick shrugged with a small smile. "Alright you two, enough of the stories, you need to clean your room." The twins uttered a disappointed 'aw'. "Dick, there's some people here to see you."

Dick gave her a puzzled look before heading to the front door. He opened it to see the group of Gotham High students from the Career Day trip. "Hey, what are you guys doing here?" He asked.

"Dude, where were you?" The red-head boy, Wally, cried.

"What are you talking about?"

"The café, remember?"

Dick thought for a moment before face-palming. He felt like such and idiot. "Oh man, I'm sorry. I completely forgot about it."

"It's okay." Megan said. "We can go now. I-If you not too busy, that is."

Dick looked at her, confused. "Right now?"

"Yeah," She said. "To the café. We came to get you just in case you forgot which you did." She began to ring her hands in nervousness.

"Um, sure, just let me ask." Dick said before going back inside. "Hey Mom, can I go to Gotham with the guys?"

Mary looked up from the dishes and her clam demeanor morphed into a worried one. "I don't know, Dick." She started.

"Please Mom," Dick begged turning on The Eyes.

Mary sighed and gave in. "Okay, but you be careful out there."

"I will," Dick said as he ran out the door.

KNOCK, KNOCK, WHO'S THERE? OH LOOK, IT'S BREAKLINE!

The café they went to was small but… cute, if you could say that. Its theme was red, white, and blue and it was everywhere. There were pictures of different American monuments and a picture of Uncle Sam. There was even one of the Hall of Justice with the members of the Justice League standing in front.

"Welcome to Mount Justice!" Wally announced with arms out stretched.

"This is where you hang out?" Dick asked looking around.

"Yeah," Wally said dropping his arms. "What of it?"

"Oh nothing, it's very," Dick paused taking one more look around, "patriotic."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "You're such a dork." She said pushing Wally out of the way.

"Hey!"

"Let's get a table." Kaldur said before they could start arguing. He led them over to a table big enough to hold all six of them. Conner sat down next to Megan and put an arm around her shoulder. Dick took the other seat next to her while Wally, Kaldur and Artemis sat on the other side.

As the waited for a server, Megan struck up a conversation. "So, Dick, what's it like living in the circus?"

"Well," Dick rubbed the back of his head trying to think of an answer. "I don't really know. I mean, I grew up there and I never really knew anything else. I mean, I walk around with lions, elephants, and clowns. That's normal for me."

"Well, do you like it?" Artemis asked.

"I love it," Dick said with a smile. "I wouldn't trade it for anything else."

A server came to their table and handed them menus. She had straight, blond hair with a streak of red. He name tag read, 'Jenny'. "Welcome to Mount Justice Café, what can I get you guys?" 'Jenny' asked pulling out a pen and note pad.

The others ordered as Dick flipped through the menu looking confused. "Excuse me," Dick said to 'Jenny'.

"Yes?"

"This menu is messed up."

"How so?" She asked looking over his shoulder.

"The letters are all scrambled."

"Where?" She asked her eyes searching for the mistake.

Dick gave her an are-you-serious look. "It everywhere, there's no actual words on this menu."

"Can you read English?" 'Jenny' asked.

"Wha- of course I can read English. Is this some kind of joke?" Dick asked becoming very frustrated.

"Dick, this isn't a joke," Artemis said looking at him like he was crazy. "There's nothing wrong with your menu."

Dick looked at her for a moment, wondering if they were all blind. He snatched Wally's menu, who gave an annoyed 'hey'. Dick scanned through the menu but it looked exactly like his, scrambled. He stood and looked around. His eyes rested on the Uncle Sam poster. Underneath the spangled man were words that were supposed to read 'I Want You'. Instead it said, U ainy tow.

Dick was starting to freak out a little now. He had no idea what was going on and when that happened it was time to go home. "Dick, you okay?" Megan asked.

Dick looked down at the group whose attention was now trained on the frantic teen. "Um, I gotta go." He said before rushing out of the café, with the group calling his name.

GUESS WHO? SPIDERMAN? NO, BREAKLINE YOU FOOL!

Dick struggled to get his breathing under control after running all the way home. Dusk was settling as he sped through the front entrance and up to his family's trailer. He burst through the door shouting for his mom, but froze at what he saw. Before him sat his Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, cousin, and siblings bound and gagged on the kitchen floor, surrounded by guys with guns. The women and children had tear tracks on their checks. They shouted at him from behind the cloth but he couldn't understand them.

Suddenly there was a voice behind him, "Hello Dick." Dick turned to see the man who argued with Jack Haley. Dick took a half a step before the man swung the gun in his hand. The butt hit him in the head and he fell to the floor. He heard his mom scream and his dad struggle from somewhere behind him. His vision swam as his head began pounding.

He man stepped over him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close to his face. Dick could smell the cigar smoke on his breath. "We need to have a little chat." He said slamming the gun against his head again. That was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.

**Okay, REVIEW everybody!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, guys! Guess what! I'm not dead! Haha sorry this took so long. College, what can you do? Anyway, working on doing better with updating so yeah. Enjoy!**

The first thing that Dick became aware of was the pounding in his head. He slowly pushed the pain to the back of his mind and focused on his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the smell. The scent of garbage and sewage was so strong, it made his headache worse. He knew he was lying on a hard floor and his head rested on something warm and soft. He became aware of voices and someone pressing something to the bleeding cut on his forehead.

Dick slowly opened his eyes and immediately saw a bleary figure hovering over him. As his vision focused, he realized it was his mom. "-ick, yo -wake?" He blinked, trying to focus on her words.

"John, he's waking up." Mary said as she gently cradled her son's head in her lap.

John moved from his brother's side and went to his wife. He softly touched Dick's shoulder. "Dick, son, can you hear me?"

"Dad?" Dick rasped. He slowly tried to sit up but John's hand stopped him.

"Whoa, Dick, don't try to get up. You most likely have a concussion."

"I'm okay," Dick said as he gently pushed off his dad's hand and stood. His head swam but he quickly got his bearings. "Where are we?"

"We don't know," John said. "We're somewhere in Gotham."

Dick took a look around the room. The place was a pigsty. Garbage littered the floor. The only piece of furniture he could see was a soiled, broken couch shoved up against the wall. There was broken glass and light bulbs scattered across the floor. Rotting food and broken would covered the floor of the kitchen. He saw a rat scurry out of a hole in the wall, grab a piece of moldy bread, and scurry back into its den. The windows were boarded up and it let in a little bit of the fading light.

Dick walked to the window and peered through the crack. Another abandoned building stood next to them. An old theatre stood farther down the alley. Near the entrance of the alley stood a worn sign. It was cut off by the wall but what he could see spelled out C-R-I-M. Farther out, close to the Gotham skyline, standing proud against the tainted city, was Wayne Enterprises. The sun was setting just behind it, giving the glowing, white building a halo.

"We're on the East side, next to Crime Alley." Dick said still gazing out the window.

"How do you know that?" His cousin, Jonny, asked.

"I just- just trust me okay." Dick replied turning to his family.

Dick knelt down and stared at each member of his family. "Listen to me very carefully. When they come through that door, do not panic. They are going to threaten us, but don't make any rash decisions. If you give them a reason to kill you, that won't hesitate to take it. Stay close to each other."

His family stared at him in fear. "Dick," his mom asked hesitantly. "How do you know all of this?"

"Mom, I don't know how I know, I just do. You need to trust me." Dick said holding her hands. She gave him a small smile and squeezed his hands.

Dick returned the smile and then turned his attention to the two fear-stricken twins clutching tightly to his aunt. He knelt down beside them, keeping his gentle smile. "Hey, why the long faces? I thought superheroes weren't afraid of anything." He said trying to lift the mood.

"We aren't superheroes." Lydia said through her tears.

"Oh, but you are. Anyone else would be running around screaming because of what is happening, but you aren't. You're being so incredibly brave and courage like that can only be found in true superheroes."

"Really?" Lolan asked perking up slightly.

"Absolutely, but I need you to do something that only superheroes can do."

"What?" Lydia asked.

"No matter what happens, I need you to stay brave. You're superheroes. I know you can do that, can't you?" Dick asked them.

Lydia and Lolan looked at each other than nodded. Dick's smile grew, "Good."

Lydia and Lolan slowly detached themselves from Aunt Karla and crawled into his lap. Dick held them close. "It's going to be alright." He whispered.

Suddenly the door burst open and Lydia screamed. Tony Zucco strolled in with an evil grin. "Come with me quietly and no one gets hurt."

Dick stood and handed Lydia and Lolan off to his mom.

"You first Dickie," Zucco sneered.

Dick plastered on a blank expression and followed Zucco. As they all got out into the hallway, men surrounded them and they headed for the stairwell. Dick moved to head down the stairs but a gun to his back stop him.

"Ah ah, Dickie, we are going the opposite direction."

Dick turned and went up the stairs with his family and Zucco close behind.

BREAKLINE!

The smell of fresh air cleared Dick's nose of the stench of the abandoned apartment building. He was shoved forward as everyone else exited the stairwell. Dick noticed about twenty more guys surround the family from the roof.

Zucco stood in front of the terrified family, smirking. "Now, I guess you're wondering why you're here." He said pulling out a tooth pick out of his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. "The issue of you circus's unwillingness to accept my protection is why."

"What do you want?" John asked.

"To show you exactly why you _need_ my protection. My first example didn't quite go as planned."

"_You_ were the one who sabotaged the wires!" John cried.

"Indeed, but I didn't into effect Dickie's ingenuity. He's the reason you're here right now." Zucco said moving toward said boy. "He is the reason why I have to constantly look over my shoulder for a certain Bat!" he spat.

Dick stared at him defiantly ant then he smirked. Angered, Zucco grabbed Dick by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up. "What's so funny boy?!"

"Oh nothing, you're just not doing a very good job of it."

"What are you talking about?"

Dick grinned. "Turn around."

Zucco turned just as a gloved fist crashing into is face, knocking him away.

"About time you got here,' Dick said to the Dark Knight.

Batman ignored him and engaged the thirty or so thugs that surrounded them. Dick had a sudden urge to jump in and join him, but resisted. His family needed him more than Zucco need a fist to the face…multiple times.

A fourth guy hit the concrete hard as number five pulled out a gun. Reacting quickly, Batman shot his grappling hook at the man and the cable wrapped around the guys wrists. Giving the cable a good yank, the man dropped his gun and staggered forward. Before Batman could take him down, a boot few out and knocked the grappling gun out of his hands.

The gun skidded to a halt at Dick's feet. He leaned down and quickly picked it up. He glanced to where Batman was fighting. Zucco had been the one to kick it away and Batman punched him once before another thug jumped into the fray. Dick was so engrossed in the fight he didn't notice Zucco lurking toward the family. A scream brought Dick away from the fight and he felt his blood chill in his veins.

Zucco neared the edge of the building holding Lolan in a choke hold. "You should have stayed out of this Batman. It was a personal matter."

"Let the boy go Zucco." Batman growled.

Zucco paused before a vicious smile appeared on his face. "You know Batman, you right. I should let him go." He said and he pushed Lolan over the edge.

Mary screamed and a thug jumped Batman from behind. Dick's mind suddenly went blank and he surged forward. He ran past his parents, Batman, and Zucco before jumping after his brother.

Zucco laughed. "What do you know; I just killed two birds with one stone."

In the moment of free fall, everything became clear to Dick. Why everything in this world had felt so wrong. In that moment, he saw his life flash before his eyes, his real life. He saw every person he had ever saved. He felt the pain of a gunshot and the pure joy of flying across roof tops. He could feel the fabric of his pants and the stiffness of his red, Kevlar tunic. He could hear the fluttering of his cape. In that moment, Dick remembered exactly who he was.

Dick clinched his limbs to his body as he sped forward. He could see Lolan rapidly approaching. Lolan was screaming and held his arms out to him. Dick reached out and grabbed Lolan's wrist and pulled him close. He immediately wrapped his arms around Dick's neck. "Hang on tight," Dick told him as he twisted in midair, switching their positions. He lifted the grappling gun and fired it toward the building. The cable suddenly went taught and yanked painfully on his shoulder. Soon they were swing up toward the adjacent building.

As their feet touched the roof, Dick rolled to absorb the impact. When they stopped, Dick just laid there and let Lolan cry. The boy trembled and shook as Dick held him. "Hush Lolan, you're fine. You're alright. I got you." He mumbled.

After the worst of his trembling subsided, Dick held him at arm's length. "Lolan, I need you to listen to me. I need to go help mom and dad and I need you to say here."

"No! No, you can't leave me!" Lolan cried.

"I'm not, but mom and dad are still up there along with Lydia, Uncle Rick, Aunt Karla, and Jonny. I have to go help them and you need to stay here were you're safe. I need you to be brave Lolan. I need you to be a superhero, can you do that?" Dick asked.

Lolan stared at him with tears streaming down his cheeks and fear in his eyes and he nodded. "Good." Dick looked around the roof till he spotted a large AC unit next to a brick wall. "Lolan, do you see that big metal box over there?"

Lolan looked to where he was pointing and nodded. "Go hide behind that and I'll come back for you ok?" Lolan nodded and ran to the unit. He swiftly squeezed into the space between the unit and the wall and was completely out of sight.

Dick stared at the unit for a moment before firing the grappling gun and swung up to the building.

BBBBBBBRRRRRREEEEEEEAAAAAAAKKKKKKKLLLLLLIIIIIINNNN NNEEEEEE!

Batman took down the last of the thugs when he turned on Zucco. He was laughing next to the edge. "You have to admit that joke was a killer." He cracked again when a converse connected with his temple and he fell to the ground.

"Jeez man, you sound like the Joker. Easy up on the jokes a little, it's creepy."

Batman stood shocked. Crouched on the edge like a bird on a wire, was Dick Grayson. He tossed something to Batman, which he barely caught. It was happened to be his grappling gun. "I think that belongs to you." He said with a smirk.

"Heads up," Dick said before he tossed the batarang in his pocket at Batman. Batman ducked and the batarang hit a thug behind him, knocking a gun from his hand. Dick flipped over Batman and planted his feet in the guy's shoulders. The thug was knocked backwards and Dick landed on his back. He quickly flipped up and ran at the thug. Before he could recover, Dick jumped up and wrapped his legs round his neck and pulled him to the ground. Dick landed on his chest and he punched the guy in the face, successfully knocking him out.

Dick stood and turned toward Batman, who looked at him with a calculated look. "Impressive." He said.

"Thanks," Dick replied with a smile. "I learned from the best."

"Dick!" Dick turned as his mother gave him a running hug. "Thank God you're alright! Where is Lolan?" She asked frantically.

"He's fine. He's hiding on the building next to us." Dick said gesturing to the adjacent roof.

"Dude, how did you do that?" Johnny asked.

Dick looked at his cousin with a serious expression. "Honesty Johnny, you're better off not knowing."

Suddenly Mary bent over, clutching her abdomen. "Oh no! John!"

John turned to his wife. "What is it Mary?"

"The baby's coming!"

"Now!? You had to choose now to-"

"JOHN!"

"Okay!"

Batman stepped forward. "Come with me, I can get you to a hospital faster than an ambulance could get here." He swiftly and gentle picked her up and carried her to where he had stashed the batmobile.

**And that's that. Can't wait to write the next and possible last chapter, if I can find the time. REVIEW!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Again, apologizing for the lateness of this update but yeah, college. Enjoy.**

The rumbling of an engine pierced the silence as a black car drove into a vacant parking lot. It skidded to a halt in front of an abandoned factory. Trash covered the ground. Graffiti stained the old brick walls and broken glass windows. The lettering of the sign was badly worn but still readable, Hare's Mirrors. A few years ago, Hare's Mirrors was just starting out when one of the mirrors broke free of it frame and hit a six year old girl, killing her instantly. Her parents sued the owner Mr. Harris White for everything he had and won. The factory was shut down and has never been used since. The little girl's name was Alice.

Batman burst into the factory and met no guards, which was strange. If he was hiding Robin in here, why wasn't there more security? He entered the main room and came face-to-face with himself. The room was covered in mirrors of every size. Batman continued, stepping over shards of broken glass and wood. A little girl's giggle echoed through the room. Batman saw something rush passed him in a mirror and he whirled around and met nothing but air. Another giggle penetrated the silence. Her image appeared in a mirror and quickly disappeared to the right. Batman followed.

The mysterious girl led him through the maze of mirrors and ended at a mirror as long as the wall. Batman stopped in front of it and gazed at the little girl in the mirror. The little girl had long blond hair held back by a black headband. She wore a blue dress and black shoes. She looked just like Alice from Alice in Wonderland. By the way she was positioned in the mirror, she should have been standing right in front of him, but there was nothing there. The little girl giggled before vanishing.

Batman walked up to the mirror and touched it. It looked like a regular mirror, but something was different. Pulling his fist back, Batman smashed it through the glass. It shattered, revealing a corridor behind it. He stepped through and continued. He soon came to a room at the end. He quietly opened the door and entered. The room was decorated with different machines and gadgets. A single Star Wars window separated him from the next room. Batman walked up to the machines in front of the window, giving of vitals and brain waves. What were these doing here? Puzzled, He looked through the window and found the answer to his question. There, strapped to a table with wires coming from the metal band around his head, was Robin.

Seeing no door leading into the room, Batman leaped through the window. Glass shattered around him as he landed in a crouch and took off toward the boy. When he reached him, he saw that Robin was tied down by four leather cuffs, two around his ankles and two around his wrists. They weren't needed though, as the boy was deathly still. The only movement came from his eyes, which flickered underneath his eyelids. Batman gazed at the metal band around his head. Wires from it ran to the machine against the wall, which gave a reading of his brainwaves. Batman reached up to remove the band but a voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Batman's head snapped to the broken window were Mad Hatter smiled wickedly down at him.

"What did you do to him, Jervis?" Batman growled.

"I simply put him to sleep. His dreams are all his own."

"What are you talking about?"

"I simply showed him what he wanted most and he did the rest. The only way to wake him up is from the inside." Mad Hatter replied with glee.

Batman turned back to the boy, who made no move to let him know that he knew he was there. He looked over to the machine and saw an extra helmet hanging on a hook on the front. He picked it up and, ignoring Mad Hatter's growing smile, slipped it on his head. There was a flash of white and then the world around him disappeared.

BREAKLINE!

Dick ran into the hospital waiting room with Lolan on his hip. He spotted his family, father, aunt, uncle and cousin, sitting on a few chairs. His dad paced back and forth, obviously anxious. He suddenly caught sight of them and relief washed over his face. "Lolan!" He cried as moved toward them swiftly and took Lolan out of Dick's arms. He held him as close he possibly could. "I was afraid I had lost you."

"Dick saved me Daddy." Lolan said.

"Yes he did," John said turning to look at his oldest. "But how did he?"

"Look, it's better if-" Dick started but his dad cut him off.

"If I didn't know, I know." John said. "I trust you Dick, but I hope that one day you'll be straight with us."

Dick felt a lump in his throat form, so he just nodded once. He wouldn't be able to, though. He knew that now. The door to the delivery room opened and all heads turned. The doctor walked up to John. "Are you John Grayson?" he asked.

"Yes, how's Mary?" he asked.

The doctor smiled. "She and the baby are just fine, both completely healthy. You can see them now." He said.

They followed the doctor through the halls with Dick taking up the rear. He opened a door and they were met with a precious sight. Mary sat up in a hospital bed. Her hair was in disarray and her faced was still slightly flushed but she seemed to glow as she gazed down at the little babe in a pink blanket. As the rest of his family rushed forward to greet the new arrival, Dick lingered in the doorway, taking in the sight. He smiled softly but he could feel his lungs grow cold.

He became aware of a presence behind him as a gloved hand appeared on his shoulder. "Robin," said a voice he was all too familiar with. A part of him had yearned to hear it again, but the other part wished it would just disappear.

"It's not real, is it?" He asked.

There was a moment of silence before the voice answered, "No."

"But what if I wanted it to be?"

Dick felt the hand tighten. "I know you wish it was, Dick, believe me. But if you stay, a part of you will know that it isn't supposed to be this way and you'll never be able to be truly happy."

"I won't, will I?"

The voice didn't respond. Dick stared at his family a moment longer. "Can I say good bye?"

"I'll meet you on the roof." And then the presence was gone.

Dick tried to swallow the lump in his throat but it only seemed to grow. Tears began to form, but he blinked them back. His mom glanced up at him with a mega-watt grin. "Dick, come on honey, come meet Lorelai." She beckoned.

Dick walked to the bed as his cousin and uncle moved aside to make room for him. "Would you like to hold her?" His mom asked. He started to protest when an unfamiliar weight was placed in his arms.

He gazed down and caught sight of the angelic face that gazed back at him. Her eyes mirrored the color of his. Lorelai sifted in his arms and let out a soft coo. Dick couldn't keep the tears back any more. "Hello, Lorelai." Dick said as tears streamed down his face. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He then placed her back in his mom's arms. He then leaned over and kissed his mom on the cheek. "I love you mami, no matter what." He said.

Mary looked at him in confusion. "Dick, are you alright?" she asked.

Dick backed away as his family stared at him, puzzled. "Dickie, what's wrong?" Lydia asked.

Dick looked at her and shook his head. "I love you, all of you…but I…I can't." he sobbed before bolting out the door with his family calling his name.

He ran past doctors, nurses, and patients. He kept running as people called to him, telling him to slow down. He could hear his dad's, Uncle Rick's and Johnny's voice calling to him, but he ignored them. He bypassed the elevator and ran to the stairs. He threw open the stairwell door, which crashed against the wall, and sprinted up the stairs. He was about three flights up when the door crashed open again and three sets of footsteps pounded up after him.

Dick was winded by the time he reached the last flight but he kept moving. The door to the roof flew open and he ran out into the cool air. He saw a black shape silhouetted against the night sky. He stopped beside it and it gazed down at him. It held out its hand for him to take just as the roof door slammed open. "Dick, STOP!" John cried when the spotted Dick gazing over the edge.

Dick turned to look at his father. "Please, son, come away from the edge." John pleaded.

"It has to be this way," Dick said. "I'm sorry." And he took the figures hand. The last thing he saw was his dad's horrified face and then everything went black.

BREAKLINE!

Dick's eyes snapped open and he gasped for air. The light blinded him but he dare not close his eyes again. They eventually adjusted and he gazed around the room. It was completely white with a broken window on one side. He suddenly became aware of something tugging at his hands and feet and then moved to his head. They gently lifted it and removed the metal band. The owner of the hands came into view and he had to keep himself from crying out loud. It was Batman. "Bruce?" Dick whispered.

"It's me," he said as he helped Dick sit up. Dick continued to stare at him in disbelief.

"Are you real?"

"Yes, chum, I'm real." Batman said.

Dick stared at him for a moment longer before he launched himself into his dad's arms, sobbing. Batman wrapped his arms around his boy tightly. "It's alright Dickie, it's alright." He whispered.

"It was so real." Dick sobbed. "I wanted it to be, so bad."

"I know chum, I know." Batman said as he ran his fingers through his hair. That sat there for a moment, taking in the warmth and comfort of each other's arms. They mulled over everything that happened and what they've seen. Of what was and what could have been.

**OH MY GOSH! IT'S FINALLY DONE! My first fanfiction ever is finally finished! I feel so accomplished. Thanks to all of those who stuck with me the whole way through. Especially when I suffered from writer's block and laziness. You guys are awesome! Please REVIEW! And if you guys have any requests of what you would like to see, please feel free to share.**


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